FBI investigating fatal blast at a San Bernardino County home as a hate crime

Abrahim
Mohd, 11, walks through the burned remains of his family’s former home
in Yermo. The family moved to Victorville after family members were
repeatedly harassed in Yermo and a mosque on the property was burned.

Ali
Abdelhadi Mohd had returned to his vacant Yermo house to clean up
anti-Arab and white-supremacist graffiti. He was killed in the
explosion.

By David Kelly
July 10, 2009

Reporting from Yermo -- Hadie Mohd last saw his father as he headed out
to the family's vacated home to paint over anti-Arab and white
supremacist graffiti scrawled across the walls inside.

"He said he would be back before sundown," Mohd said. "And he always kept his word."

But when sundown came, Ali Abdelhadi Mohd had not returned. About 9:45
p.m. on June 27, neighbors in this scruffy high-desert town heard an
explosion they said sounded like a sonic boom. Flames engulfed the
single-story home. When firefighters arrived, they found a horribly
burned Mohd dead among the ruins.

"We can only hope he died quickly," Hadie Mohd said as he picked
his way through the gray ashes and blackened appliances at the house
Thursday. "It gives us peace to think that."

The fire, along with the graffiti and the earlier torching of a mosque
on the property, has led the FBI to launch an investigation into
whether the incident was a hate crime.

"Assuming he was the victim of a crime, we are looking into the
possibility that the perpetrator was motivated by religious bias or
hate," said Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman. "Based on complaints
and information from the family, they have been targeted in the past.
There are suspicions that their civil rights may have been violated."

Investigators from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's
arson and bomb unit have combed through the wreckage trying to
determine what caused the blast and how Mohd died.

"We do know he was alive when the fire was burning because the autopsy
showed soot and burning in his esophagus," said Arden Wiltshire,
spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Department. "We still don't know if it
was a tragic accident or if it was intentional. Hopefully, the arson
investigators will help us complete the picture."

She said Mohd took pictures of the graffiti but never notified deputies.

"If he had called we would have documented it and made an investigation," she said.

The family, which includes seven children, lived on a large lot along
Yermo Road for the last four years. Life hasn't always been peaceful.
They reported being insulted based on their Arab heritage, having their
religion mocked and being threatened.

Ahmad Mohd, 14, said a group of children at his school routinely
challenged him to fights, used racial epithets and told him, "Go home,
Arab." His father complained to school officials, who suspended some of
the students, but the harassment continued, Ahmad said.

The school superintendent was on vacation and could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Asmaa Mohd, 18, who wears a traditional Arab head covering called a
hijab, reported being taunted with a racial slur as some youths tried
to tear off her head covering.

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, a civil rights advocacy group, said talk radio and the
Internet are full of what he called "hate speech" aimed at Muslims.

"I think in this case there is more than a sufficient basis to
investigate the possibility of a hate crime," he said. "Whenever you
have a history of bias and harassment like the burning of a mosque and
hate graffiti, it would be irresponsible not to look into it as a hate
crime. If it was, it would be a case of nationwide significance."

Ali Abdelhadi Mohd, 51, came to the United States from Amman, Jordan,
in the 1970s, intending to study engineering. But life took a different
turn. His faith was his passion, and his family said he held a moderate
view of Islam.

"He was strict but within reason. He wanted us to have fun but said we
should spend as much time praying as we did having fun," Mohd said. "He
got mosques started in Riverside, Indio and San Diego."

The family eventually moved from Lynwood to Yermo, outside Barstow, to
have some land and space. Mohd built a brick mosque on their property.
In 2007, it was burned down along with two other buildings in town.

Deputies arrested Loren Jessie Clark and Brian Martin in connection
with the fires, but no hate crimes were alleged. Clark was 18 and
Martin was 16.

The steady drumbeat of threats and harassment pushed Mohd to move his
family to Victorville, a bigger city an hour away with a more diverse
population.

But it immediately attracted unwelcome guests. Within a week, the home
was vandalized, its walls covered with swastikas, racist graffiti and
anti-Arab slurs, the family said.

"My dad didn't tell the police but I assume he took the pictures to show them," his son said.

Mohd left Victorville at 2 p.m. that day to buy paint at Home Depot to cover the graffiti. He never returned.

Judy Smith, who lives in the hardscrabble neighborhood where the incident occurred, said she heard the blast.

She said fires are not uncommon in the area, pointing to the
burned home across the street and another less than a block away. "Any
place that is empty is destroyed in a week," she said.

Olga Ramirez called the fire department the night of the blaze.

"I was feeling OK about this place, but now I'm scared," she said, as
her two dogs howled behind a chain fence. "I don't want to be out at
night anymore. We are thinking about maybe moving to San Bernardino."

Brother {Sign Reader}, i did not understand your question exactly. Do
you mean hijab was the cause of her death ? Can you make it clear for
me ?

ussalaamualykum:I think sis Hayfa being in the US is on the same wave length as I read her post...I C & P'ed the news report above so you can see the whole picture about the incident in rural California where the Imam Ali Mhmd was martyred but his daughters were molested( I am using this term to emphasize the pulling of scarf off) by the school bullies and theri were no Muslim boys to protect...My question was quite straight forward under the ayas I quoted:

First. the Muslim men are not available for protection...Second: The scarf became a symbol to invite attack while not even fulfilling the outer garment edict to prevent molestation..So in final analysis the scarf(Hijab) didn't work as a Dawah for the people who are psychopaths with a dead soul to begin with ...In Dresden murder case Egyptian sister Sherbini probably got killed I guess by psychopathic unemployed German cuz her scarf triggered hate and xenophobia under the poor economic conditions prevailing in Dresden...I think the Muslims must not forget that migrating to the European countries will not get them complete civil rights and independent life styles...After all Germany is where Nazis got their foothold..rather why hang around psychopathic people who are never gonna like the different color and looks...

IMHO it is somewhat safer for hijabis in big urban areas in US but I doubt same is true in Germany or France...the question of Hijab being a dawah thing is yet to be proven of course there are exceptions...

My take would be to take the macro view of the Muslim demographics there can't be one thingamajig fits all if life and limb are in peril...

First. the Muslim men are not available for protection...Second: The scarf became a symbol to invite attack while not even fulfilling the outer garment edict to prevent molestation..

That situation happens everywhere even here in the Philippines. Muslims from Mindanao were advised not to go to Manila looking like Muslims (wearing veil for women and having beard for men) or their life will be in danger...this is because every terroristic violence are being blamed to the Muslims!

But not to wear proper hijab to "catch" a husband, as a protector, is another thing....I have my protector and that is Allah...none can kill me or harm me without His will.... i will never remove the crown Allah has given me for this world's pleasure, NEVER! even if it meant death to me. We all die and it is better to die in a noble cause than to die in shameless way...

Whenever Muslims placed their Trust in Allah, Allah helped them. And
whenever they relied on the worldly materials and numbers, they were
deprived of Allah's help..

"O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm." [Muhammad - 47:7]

what happened in california is terrible and i pray for the safety of the believers. hijab is the modesty of a muslimah, it can't be compromised, God created us and our brains and he knows what is good for us and whats bad. a manufacturer knows more of his product than the user and Allah the creater knows what is best for us.

this unfortunate incident is rare and occurs mostly is US or europe and those who carry out these attacls are a minority, they do this because of the hatred against muslims. if muslims can't live there in peace than they should migrate where they are safe like the muslims did when they were persecuted in Makkah and than migrated to abyssinia a christian country and to medina.

they want muslims to leave there faith which is impossible, there actions will result in nothing but hatred and islam will continue to grow inshAllah.

May Allah protect, guide and help the Ummah, ameen.

waalaikumussalaam warehmtullah wa barkatihuWhy have Pakistanis moved to other countries...not for their faith but for better economic opportunities cuz Pakistan is a corrupt and lawless neo colony...Sahaba Going into Abyssinian asylum was not economic it was to keep their faith... that is not the case in most Muslim immigrants to western countries...Once they permanently settle down and make families then the trouble starts with children asking for direction; the identity crises forces the children into assimilation and abandonment of any leftover of their parents creed or into Islamic modes ....then they come face to face with religious biases with other anti Islamic forces workings...It also projects them into just not religious but also political the likes of all the Zionist wars against the occupied Muslim lands in bondage of neo colonialism...look what is happening in your neighborhood do you think if bunch of Muslims who don't like to live in west can migrate to Pakistan and not get burnt with lack of rule of law, honesty, services and what have you...How many women do you see with hijab in Pakistan?The government has been Anglo American puppet since day one so where is the Ummah?

I agree. Hijab is dawah. I once took a cab and since I wear hijab, the driver started asking me about Islam. I told him a few things then gave him a Qur'an. He was very happy to get that free gift from me.

First. the Muslim men are not available for protection...Second: The scarf became a symbol to invite attack while not even fulfilling the outer garment edict to prevent molestation..

That situation happens everywhere even here in the Philippines. Muslims from Mindanao were advised not to go to Manila looking like Muslims (wearing veil for women and having beard for men) or their life will be in danger...this is because every terroristic violence are being blamed to the Muslims!

But not to wear proper hijab to "catch" a husband, as a protector, is another thing....I have my protector and that is Allah...none can kill me or harm me without His will.... i will never remove the crown Allah has given me for this world's pleasure, NEVER! even if it meant death to me. We all die and it is better to die in a noble cause than to die in shameless way...

Whenever Muslims placed their Trust in Allah, Allah helped them. And
whenever they relied on the worldly materials and numbers, they were
deprived of Allah's help..

"O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm." [Muhammad - 47:7]

Mashallah sis aaysha: Your courage and conviction is commendable but the part I need you to see is that trust in Allah is intangible and needs a physical shield in tangible form to protect the body containing that trust in Allah...I hope you are not telling us that the hijabi sister's murderer in Dresden was doing Allah's will...No one asking here you to be without hijab and Philippines is an Asian country with lots of Muslim middle eastern relations and no neo Nazis influence being around! The daily occurrences of hijab derision are mostly in the so called west...There is more restriction on the practice hijab in place called Turkey a one time the torch bearer of Islam in the world...The state of affairs of the Muslims going into bondage of colonial forces may indicate their falling into symbolism without understanding the substance...You sound quite knowledgeable individual; mind explaining the ayah (33:59) on covering of woman folks...Does it have any tangible meaning? What was the environment when it was revealed? How does it relate to the corruption rampant in the Muslim majority countries...No one could recover the lost glory unless get rid of the flaws in character that caused bondage ...Once that transformation happens the hijab would also be a sign of respect rather than of derision...May be we are talking two different things symbolism vs substance! And don't take me wrong my older daughter is a hijabi the younger ones are fence sitters...

Everything in this life is just a matter of choices...to be on the path at all cause or to just justify one's action....and all of these will be judged by Allah.

I am not so knowledgeable about this deen, Bro Sign.reader..i just know a few that I truly believe. I dont know the situation in your place and what I aired there is my belief and stand.

I believe that nothing in this life happens without His leave and there are things we do not like that is better for us...2;216

We are just minority here in Mindanao but that does not stop us from fighting for our rights to exist and to practice our faith. We are being dubbed as terrorist, they have tried to annihilate us but nay! Allah will not allow that. What is being done agaisnt us are being concealed by the media and none know what really happens to my people. I have been too afraid for so long i got no fear left in me no more.

Am sorry if I said something that may hurt anyone or touched someone's ego...i dont mean it.

First. the Muslim men are not available for protection...Second: The scarf became a symbol to invite attack while not even fulfilling the outer garment edict to prevent molestation..So in final analysis the scarf(Hijab) didn't work as a Dawah for the people who are psychopaths with a dead soul to begin with ...

I think the Muslims must not forget that migrating to the European countries will not get them complete civil rights and independent life styles...After all Germany is where Nazis got their foothold..rather why hang around psychopathic people who are never gonna like the different color and looks...

IMHO it is somewhat safer for hijabis in big urban areas in US but I doubt same is true in Germany or France...the question of Hijab being a dawah thing is yet to be proven of course there are exceptions...

My take would be to take the macro view of the Muslim demographics there can't be one thingamajig fits all if life and limb are in peril...

I agree you brother. Aaysha hope you agree with this post, esp to the lines highlighted in blue.

At this point wherein, its said that "Men are protectors -- " i slightly disagree. The ayah goes like this - " “Men are the protectors and
maintainers of women because of what Allah has preferred one with over
the other and because of what they spend to support them from their
wealth.”

Here. men is interpreted as men in her life. A husband, therefore, has the responsibility of
taking care of his wife, protecting her, defending her honor, and
fulfilling her needs regarding her religion and her worldly life. In this case of California, irrespective of i guess this hadith would apply here that in which Anas states that the Messenger of Allah said, Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is oppressed. "I asked, `O
Allah's Messenger! It is right that I help him if he is oppressed, but how
should I help him if he is an oppressor' He said, By preventing him from oppressing others; this is how you help him in this case.

Atleast for the sake of brotherhood, any of the muslim brothers shud have supported her and helped. Its a duty of a muslim to protect the honour of other muslim.

Edited by seekshidayath - 12 July 2009 at 1:26am

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent."

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